Current flow from higher to lower potential

Hi All,
This morning I got my concepts shattered. I had started my engineering with this sentence: 'current flows from high potential to low potential'
This is evident in my first schematic where we see current flowing from +5V to -5V terminal.

But in my second schematic, I do not understand why the current would not flow from +5V to -5V termial. Instead, I see two currents. One flowing from +5V to ground and the other flowing from -5V to ground.

Attached Files:

Thanks Ron for the reply.
I understand the current flows. What I do not understand is, why the current would not flow from +15V terminal to -15V terminal. Why would it go to ground instead, where in the bottom it can see the -15V(which is lower potential than the gnd)(As said, Current flows from higher potential to lower potential and -15 is lower)

The center bridging link in the second schematic effectively de-couples the upper & lower parts of the original schematic. The two "halves" are then effectively two completely independent circuits insofar as the current flow in each case is concerned. The fact that they share a common link is irrelevant.

Interestingly you have nowhere designated on the schematics what you consider to be your ground point.

Attached Files:

Thanks Ron for the reply.
I understand the current flows. What I do not understand is, why the current would not flow from +15V terminal to -15V terminal. Why would it go to ground instead, where in the bottom it can see the -15V(which is lower potential than the gnd)(As said, Current flows from higher potential to lower potential and -15 is lower)

Click to expand...

Here is another way of drawing your circuit:

Current requires a loop to flow. Voltage requires two points to establish a potential.

Neither exists between these supplies as they are connected at only 1 point.

Thanks Ron for the reply.
I understand the current flows. What I do not understand is, why the current would not flow from +15V terminal to -15V terminal. Why would it go to ground instead, where in the bottom it can see the -15V(which is lower potential than the gnd)(As said, Current flows from higher potential to lower potential and -15 is lower)

Click to expand...

the current does flow from +15 to -15, however, because the loads are not balanced, the difference in loop current flows through common.

Huh, well you got me there. The difference flows around the outer loop. Simple KCL applied to the two nodes of the middle wire.

What I find surprising is my drawing actually changed the circuit by adding two paths side to side. This allows each current to flow in it's own middle wire and thus there is a zero outer loop current.

Here the topology change actually changed the currents. This is a first for me.

Huh, well you got me there. The difference flows around the outer loop. Simple KCL applied to the two nodes of the middle wire.

What I find surprising is my drawing actually changed the circuit by adding two paths side to side. This allows each current to flow in it's own middle wire and thus there is a zero outer loop current.

Here the topology change actually changed the currents. This is a first for me.

Click to expand...

Actually hasn't changed the operation, just the perspective. Schematic drawing can assist or confuse. Speaking of such, let's hold on to that concept and jump to the other thread referring 'ground'.

It might be informative if one were to replace the "ideal" link with another ammeter (AM3). What would the ammeter indicate? In reality such a zero resistance link as proposed would not be physically realizable. In that sense there are not two nodes as the drawing implies - just one - as ErnieM's recasting of the drawing suggests...

I notice also that +15V and -15V crept in somewhere while the original schematics show the sources as V1 & V2 each of 5V.

As GetDeviceInfo's point infers, this has a lot to do with how one represents a conceptual circuit with a conceptual topology.

It might be informative if one were to replace the "ideal" link with another ammeter (AM3). What would the ammeter indicate? In reality such a zero resistance link as proposed would not be physically realizable. In that sense there are not two nodes as the drawing implies - just one - as ErnieM's recasting of the drawing suggests...

I notice also that +15V and -15V crept in somewhere while the original schematics show the sources as V1 & V2 each of 5V.

As GetDeviceInfo's point infers, this has a lot to do with how one represents a conceptual circuit with a conceptual topology.

Click to expand...

I realize that most of you already know this, but here goes, anyhow:
Of course, the ideal ammeter will indicate the difference in the currents of the two loops. The ammeter will have zero volts across it.
The current in each battery and each resistor will be the same no matter which way the connecting node is drawn.